Operations help for Tyler and Smith County plants
Tyler is one of East Texas's main manufacturing centers, and its plants range from large national operations to family-owned shops supplying them. TARS Ops works with the small and mid-size end of that range: manufacturers, fabricators and distributors that need senior operations leadership a day or two a week instead of a full-time hire.
Tyler's manufacturing base
Tyler's manufacturing employers include Trane Technologies' HVAC manufacturing, Tyler Pipe and Coupling, and Hood Packing Corporation. At a February 2026 Tyler Economic Development Council panel, leaders from those three plants talked about investing in automation and new production lines, partnering with Tyler Junior College and UT Tyler on training, and the ongoing shortage of skilled-trades workers.
That shortage hits smaller plants hardest. When experienced people are hard to hire, the answer is usually better systems: clear standard work, a schedule built around real capacity, and daily KPIs. That way newer people can do good work and supervisors aren't the only source of answers. That's the core of what I do as a fractional Director of Operations and through lean manufacturing work.
Industrial parks and new projects
The Tyler Economic Development Council markets several industrial sites, including the Tyler Interstate Commerce Park on I-20 (about 240 acres available, with YellaWood as anchor tenant), plus the Prosperity Commerce Park and Catalyst Commerce Park. Suppliers that grow alongside new projects often need to scale scheduling, purchasing and quality quickly, and a short, fixed-price project sprint fits that well.
How on-site work works from Greenville
Tyler is about 76 miles from Greenville. I plan Tyler on-site days as full days on a fixed weekday, so your team knows when I'll be on the floor, and handle questions between visits by phone and video. The two-week assessment is done on-site in Tyler like anywhere else.
Work runs as a fractional Director of Operations retainer, a fixed-price sprint, lean manufacturing work on one area, or AI assistant setup for the office. See starting prices.
Local facts are from the public sites linked here and were checked in October 2026. Companies are named only to describe the local manufacturing base; they are not TARS Ops clients. Drive times are approximate, from Greenville, without traffic.
Sources: Tyler Morning Telegraph, Feb. 13, 2026 · Tyler Economic Development Council · Tyler Interstate Commerce Park · UT Tyler Texas Productivity Center
Common questions
Is Tyler too far for weekly on-site work?
Tyler is about an hour and a half from Greenville, so on-site days are planned as full days on a set day of the week, with phone and video check-ins in between. For many plants, one full on-site day a week plus remote support works well.
Do you work in Longview, Kilgore or Lindale?
Yes, by arrangement. Plants east of Tyler are a longer drive, so on-site time is usually scheduled in blocks, and remote advisory covers the rest.
Do you work with large corporate plants?
My focus is small and mid-size manufacturers and fabricators, roughly 20 to 250 people, where there isn't a corporate operations team. Larger sites usually have internal resources, though suppliers to those plants are a good fit.
Can you help us use local training resources?
Yes. Tyler has strong training partners, including Tyler Junior College and UT Tyler's Texas Productivity Center, which offers lean training. I help turn that training into daily practice on your floor.
Let's talk about your floor.
Book a free 30-minute ops call. Tell me what keeps breaking, and I'll tell you honestly whether I can help and what the first step would be.